A random collection of films authored by or about my transgender, intersex sisters, and gender-nonconforming persons all over the world. I watched some of them, and I was inspired by some of them. I met some of the authors and heroines, some of them are my best friends, and I had the pleasure and honor of interviewing some of them. If you know of any transgender documentary that I have not covered yet, please let me know.
Directors: Gloria Aura Bortolini & Annamaria Gallone
Release Year: 2013
Synopsis:
Lei è mio marito (She is My Husband), a poignant documentary by Gloria Aura Bortolini and Annamaria Gallone, offers a profound exploration of love, identity, and transformation. The film chronicles the journey of Alessandro, a successful Venetian lawyer, and his partner Roberta, who navigates the complexities of gender transition and the enduring power of love. This documentary stands as a testament to the strength of human connection and the courage it takes to live authentically.
The narrative begins with Roberta and Alessandro’s meeting in Corsica eight years prior to the events that unfold in the documentary. Their romance blossoms against the backdrop of the picturesque island, marked by a shared passion for life and adventure. However, beneath the surface of their idyllic love story lies Alessandro’s hidden truth—a longing to become a woman that he has grappled with since adolescence.
Alessandro's success as a lawyer in Venice is juxtaposed with his internal struggle.
Director: Mino Loy
Release Year: 1963
Synopsis:
In 1963, Italian filmmaker Mino Loy created 90 Notti in Giro per il Mondo, a documentary that was as much a celebration of the erotic arts as it was a subtle commentary on the societal challenges faced by transgender women. The film, whose title translates to "90 Nights Around the World," serves as a wide-reaching exploration of the world of burlesque, erotic arts, and performance cultures, including an intimate portrait of the legendary transgender performer Marie-Pierre Pruvot, also known as Bambi.
90 Notti in Giro per il Mondo is an engaging and evocative documentary, capturing a period of time when transgender performers were beginning to gain international recognition within cabaret and revue shows, particularly in Paris. The film documents not only the glamorous world of burlesque and striptease but also the emotional and social complexities surrounding performers who, at the time, navigated the challenges of identity, acceptance, and public perception.
1963,
Bambi,
Italian,
Marie-Pierre Pruvot,
Monika Kowalska,
Director: Marco Mura
Release Year: 2012
Synopsis:
Released in 2012, Iside, il bruco diventa farfalla (translated as Isis, the Caterpillar Becomes a Butterfly) is a poignant and deeply personal short film that marks the directorial debut of Sardinian filmmaker Marco Mura. Despite its low budget and simple production values, the film carries an immense emotional weight as it explores themes of gender identity, societal rejection, and personal transformation. Through the lens of the protagonist, Isis, a young MtF (Male-to-Female) transgender woman, the film explores her journey of self-realization and the difficult path to becoming the woman she has always known herself to be.
The film centers around Isis, a young transgender woman living in a small, conservative village in Sardinia. From a young age, Isis has felt that her true gender is female, even though her body and the world around her have insisted otherwise. The film captures her personal struggles with this disconnect, highlighting the challenges she faces both internally and externally.
Director: Alessandro Blasetti
Release Year: 1959
Original title: Europa di notte
Synopsis:
Europa di notte (1959), directed by Alessandro Blasetti, is a captivating, albeit unconventional documentary that takes viewers on a night-time journey through the dazzling and often illicit world of European cabaret. Through a series of vignettes set in famous nightlife spots in major European cities—London, Paris, Madrid, and Vienna—the film introduces a panorama of variety acts, including burlesque shows, dancing, magic tricks, and musical performances. It captures the spirit of post-war European entertainment, reflecting both the vibrancy and decadence of the cabaret scene that flourished during the 1950s.
Blasetti, known primarily for his work in Italian cinema, particularly within the neorealist and historical genres, approached Europa di notte with a distinctive style that blended documentary and spectacle. The film was something of an experimental work for him, designed to be an almost chaotic collage of performances and nightlife, presented as an "artistic documentary" where the line between reality and entertainment was often blurred. He described the film as a "spectacle-documentary," a fusion of reality and artistic performance that might one day disappear as the world of cabaret slowly faded into history. The documentary was a snapshot of an era, featuring some of the most famous entertainers of the time, and it would later be credited with inspiring the genre of "mondo movies," films that expose various aspects of society, often with a sensationalized and voyeuristic tone.
1959,
Coccinelle,
Italian,
Italy,
Jacqueline Charlotte Dufresnoy,
Director: Peppe Lanzetta
Release Year: 2012
Synopsis:
"Sara Sarà" (2012), a short film directed by Peppe Lanzetta, offers a refreshing and poignant glimpse into the life of a transgender woman, presenting her not as a figure of pity or sympathy, but as a vibrant, self-assured individual whose personal and professional identity are as multifaceted as they are empowering. The film tells the story of Sara Carbone, also known as Sara Charlotte, a transgender woman from Naples who works as both a hairdresser and a performer in burlesque shows. With its focus on Sara’s confidence and ambition, Lanzetta’s film stands out for its groundbreaking portrayal of the transgender experience, emphasizing joy, resilience, and self-determination rather than the suffering or victimization often associated with such narratives.
Sara is depicted as a woman with a rich and fulfilling life that includes a successful career in the arts and a deep love for beauty and performance. As a burlesque artist, Sara’s performances blend glamour, sensuality, and humor, allowing her to express herself in a way that transcends the conventional norms often imposed on women, particularly transgender women. The film highlights her exceptional talent as a makeup artist and hairstylist, skills she has honed over the years to become not just a professional but a key figure in the artistic community of her neighborhood. These talents are central to the narrative, which showcases Sara as someone who is deeply engaged in her work and capable of inspiring others, especially the younger generation. She dreams of creating a cultural and artistic project that could engage the kids in her area, encouraging them to explore their own creativity and sense of self.
2012,
Italian,
Italy,
Sara Carbone,
Director: Lina Cascella & Cinzia Sarto
Release Year: 2004
Synopsis:
Femmina Per Grazia Ricevuta (2004), directed by Lina Cascella and Cinzia Sarto, is an intimate and poignant documentary that captures the journey of Sara Carbone, a transgender woman who courageously confronts the complex and often painful realities of gender identity, discrimination, and societal rejection. The title, roughly translated as "Female by Grace Received," alludes to both the grace and the struggle that come with Sara's transformation and the societal forces that push against her as she seeks recognition and acceptance in a world that refuses to understand or accommodate her.
The documentary stands out not only for its exploration of transgender identity but also for the deeply human story it tells—one of resilience in the face of immense personal and societal obstacles. Through the lens of Sara Carbone’s life, Femmina Per Grazia Ricevuta offers a broader reflection on gender, identity, and the fight for the right to exist authentically in a world that demands conformity. The film was praised for its raw, unsentimental portrayal of Sara’s life and for its unflinching exploration of the difficulties transgender people often face, particularly in terms of social marginalization, personal relationships, and bureaucratic barriers.
2004,
Italian,
Italy,
Sara Carbone,
Director: Fabiomassimo Lozzi
Release Year: 2013
Synopsis:
Nessuno è perfetto! (2013) by Fabiomassimo Lozzi is a profound exploration into the complex world of transgender identities, told through the personal stories of five individuals who navigate the intricacies of gender, society, and self-acceptance. The film, whose title translates to "Nobody is Perfect!", sheds light on the lived experiences of transgender people in Italy, focusing particularly on the pre-Law 164 era, a period when legal recognition and social acceptance of transgender individuals were still far from being guaranteed. With a humanistic touch, Lozzi and writer Antonio Veneziani craft a narrative that is as emotional as it is enlightening, showcasing how individuals from various walks of life have faced adversity, rejection, and their own internal struggles in the pursuit of self-realization.
The narrative is built around four main characters: Georgiana, a civil servant; Marcello, an eccentric milliner; Andreas, a fishmonger; and Daniela, an escort. Each of them represents a unique facet of the transgender experience, portraying both the challenges and the triumphs they encounter in a world that often seeks to marginalize or misunderstand them. The characters' stories are personal, deeply intimate, and yet universally relatable, exploring not only the external struggles they face in their respective professions and social environments but also the internal transformation that occurs as they fight to express their authentic selves.
2013,
Andrea Berardicurti,
Carmen Bertolazzi,
Italian,
Italy,
Leila Pereira Daianis,
Michele Capozzi,
Porpora Marcasciano,
